Betrayed Love
by ShianeCollins
Summary: Rose is ordered to capture the Gboys to save her family, but she loves Duo...can she do what needs to be done? FINISHED fic...POSTED!
1. Default Chapter

**Notes and disclaimers:** Okay, ya know, I'm tired of saying that I don't own GW, but oh well, it's becoming a habit now. What a pity though. Well anyway, I DO own the Saiso's.

Betrayed Love

"See you tomorrow night Duo." Nineteen-year-old Suzumi "Rose" Saiso said to her boyfriend as he escorted her to the doorstep of her apartment. They just came back from a date and were reluctant to part.

"I know, but why can't I stay?" Duo Maxwell whined playfully. The twenty-year-old had been dating Rose for six months now and knew he loved her very much, just as she loved him.

"Because you told me that you have to report to the others about the mission you just got back from." Rose replied kissing the tip of his nose. "Besides, my parents want me to watch my brother for a few hours and you know how much I love my brother." She added.

Duo scratched his head and looked innocent, "Oh right. I forgot about that."

She kissed him once more and hugged him tight.

"See you tomorrow then." He said. He kissed her again and turned to leave.

"Goodbye my handsome prince." Rose called after him.

"Until tomorrow my beautiful princess." He called back.

Rose walked into the living room of her apartment after she unlocked the door. But as she turned on the lights, she was grabbed from behind and a hand was clamped over her mouth. Her eyes darted around the interior of her living room. Her parents were propped up against the couch, tied together and her little brother was tied to a chair with a gag on. A man also held a gun to his head.

Rose's eyes widened as she looked around and found many more men in military uniforms.

"I'm going to take my hand away. If you yell or scream your brother will die." Her captor said in her ear.

She nodded and was released. She straightened her clothes and then glared at the men.

"Why are you doing this? What have we done to you? _Have_ we done anything wrong?" she asked.

"You are dating Duo Maxwell are you not?" the one behind her asked.

"I am." She replied automatically.

"And you are known to the fact that he is the pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe?" he inquired.

"I know this. Why?" she asked sharply.

"We are soldiers from Oz," Rose gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, "And we are recruiting you to capture the Gundam Pilots for us."

"Why! What if I refuse!" she demanded, taking her hands down.

The gun was cocked. Her brother had tears running down his face as the Oz soldier behind her replied, "If you don't we will kill your parents and your brother. Your father put up a good fight before he was knocked unconscious." He added.

Rose lowered her head in defeat. She couldn't bear it if her family died most of all her little brother Tesuki.

"Fine, I'll do it." She said in a quiet tone. Tears were already running down her face and she wouldn't look up at her brother, who was silently pleading her to do.

"Good. Come to the abandoned office building on Aster Way. Be there at ten tomorrow morning or you will never see your family again." The Oz soldier said.

"Yes sir." She replied. She sank to the floor after watching the other soldiers ungracefully pick her mother and father up and carry them out. She tried to run to her brother as they untied him but she was held back by the soldier behind her and the soldier held a gun to her brother's head.

"Do it again and he's as good as dead."

Her brother and all of the soldiers were gone in a matter of minutes but not before one said, "Tell any of the pilots and your whole family including yourself are dead."

Rose ran to her room and threw herself onto her bed where she cried her heart out. She fell asleep crying.

The next morning she was early to the meeting place. She waited for twenty minutes before her brother, escorted by soldiers arrived. But there was a metal collar-type choker around his neck.

Before she could voice any questions the soldier that had held her captured the night before walked up to her, a gun in his hand. She closed her mouth and looked at him.

"Put this on." The soldier said, handing her a metal collar identical to her brother's.

"What is it?" she warily asked as she snapped the metal choker around her neck. She had to take off her own necklaces and slip them into her pocket.

"It is a electricity choker. Would you care for a demonstration?" the soldier asked with an evil grin on his face. When Rose didn't say anything he went ahead and signaled to one of the other soldiers near Tesuki.

Pain ran through her brother's features just as a sharp electric bolt ran through Rose's body. She fell to the floor on her knees gasping for breath as the pain soon ceased.

"What…was…that?" she gasped for air. She touched the metal choker and found it a little hot to the touch.

"Electricity just ran through your body and your brother's. Whatever your brother receives, you will receive twice the amount, but never enough to kill you." The soldier said.

"Why use them?" Rose asked, her breath back. She lifted her head to look at the soldier and then at her brother, who was still trying to catch his breath.

"To keep you in line and to make sure you will do your job. Don't worry, they're water proof and will not come off until someone with the key takes it off of you." The soldier replied.

"How do I get a hold of you at all?" she asked, rising to stand with a serious look on her face.

"Every two days at noon, I will call your apartment. Make sure you are there or something may happen." The soldier said.

"What about the collars? How often will they go off?" she asked, fingering the now cool metal.

"As often as it pleases me. Just make sure you capture the Gundam Pilots as quickly as possible and it'll be off in no time. But until then we will keep an eye on your brother and your parents." He replied.

"Yes sir." Rose said with a great reluctance. She didn't want anything to happen to her family and at the moment she almost really wanted to hand over the Gundam Pilots. But that would mean betraying their trust…and Duo's love.

She walked out of the building and out onto the sidewalk that had just a few people walking by. She slowly made her way to a payphone and dialed Duo's number.

"Hello?" came a voice.

"Duo?" Rose asked, though the voice sounded a little unfamiliar.

"No, this is Quatre. Hold on let me get him." Answered the voice.

"Thank you. Will you tell him it's Rose?" she asked.

"Oh, Rose! Now I remember who you are! Duo's always talking about you!" Quatre said. "Oh here he is…"

"Hello?" Duo's voice came through the phone.

Rose almost started crying but managed to keep her emotions in check.

"Duo, it's me Rose. I can't meet with you today. Something came up."

"Did something happen? Do you want me…" he tried to ask.

"No." she interrupted, "My brother's sick and it's contagious…I'm the only one in my family to have it so I have to take care of him. Don't worry it's only for a couple of days." She thought up. She wanted him to buy it, but she knew he would eventually find out the lie. But that was if he bothered to find out.

"Okay…but Rose babe, can't I just come over for a little while? I'm sure Tesuki will be happy to see me." Duo tried.

"No! We're just fine. I'll call you later, okay honey?" she asked in a softer tone.

"Well, I guess…" Duo trailed off. "Talk to you later."

"Bye." Rose replied as she hung up the phone. She went back to her car and slowly climbed in. She hurried back to her apartment where she burst into tears. She flung herself onto her bed and cried until she held no more tears. She fell asleep sprawled on her bed and when she woke up she knew what she had to do, but she didn't want to do it. She decided to wait until the time was right, when they were all unaware of anything happening. But for now, Rose would act as if nothing had happened.

A couple of days later Rose met Duo at the park and fiercely hugged him.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, a look of concern flashing in his eyes.

"No. I just missed you." She replied.

"Is your brother alright now? How's he doing anyway?" he inquired.

"Oh, he's getting better. My parents decided to take him on a small trip. They told me they'll return around Halloween." She replied, slightly averting her gaze.

"That means more time to ourselves." Duo said, a mischievous grin lighting his face.

Rose pushed him back and giggled while blushing. "Duo…"

Duo ceased any more protests from her as he pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his went around her waist in a possessive embrace. When he ended the passionate kiss, he asked, "Where to my lady-love?"

"Hmm…" Rose purred. "How about my place? It's more private."

Duo grinned and swept her up in his arms and carried her to his car.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Shiane: **Thank youFrankie the Spunky One for the review! I do love it so!

**Notes and disclaimers: **I don't own GW, but I do own the Saisos.

**Chapter 2**

Later that night after Rose had emerged from the shower and dried off, she fell to her knees as the metal gave off electric waves. Crying in pain she clutched at her neck, but that just brought more waves of pain from the collar. Minutes later, Rose just fell to the floor in exhaustion and in the aftermath of the pain. She curled into a loose ball, but came out of it the minute she heard her lover's voice.

"Rose? Are you okay!" Duo knocked on the bathroom door, pure concern in his voice. "Rose?"

Still gasping for breath, Rose slowly rose to her feet, which were unsteady. She didn't want him to see her like she was. It wasn't that she was modest, it was just that she didn't want him to be there if the collar went off again or if he started asking questions about what happened. She grabbed at the bar hanging from the wall and leaned against the wall. After a minute more she managed to say,

"I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute…"

But Duo could hear the gasping for breath and the slight cracking in her voice. He opened the door and found her leaning heavily against the wall in nothing but the metal choker.

"Duo!" Rose squeaked indignantly. She tried to reach for the towel that was out of her reach and nearly fell face first to the floor. Duo caught her in his arms and felt her lean heavily into him.

"What happened!" he demanded but in a concerned way. She had become so exhausted in such a short period of time.

"I haven't slept for more than a day and…" she started a lie. But Duo silenced her with grabbing the towel and wrapping it around her body. Then he held her close once more and fingered the hair that fell from her messily made bun. He held her tightly and then scooped her into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and delicately placed her under the covers, after confiscating her towel from her body.

"Duo!" she squeaked but ended with a yawn. Her covers were so soft against her bare skin and she had been through so much the past week, she just wanted to sleep away her troubles. She turned onto her side and yawned again.

Duo sat on the edge of the bed, releasing her long black hair from the hair tie and then stroking her tresses softly. He patiently soothed her until she was deeply asleep before stripping and joining her under the covers.

Around ten the next morning Rose woke up to find her body curled up against Duo's side. Both of them wore nothing but the blanket, though Rose still had the much-loathed collar on.

"Good morning gorgeous. Sleep well?" Duo asked turning to his side to see her.

She stretched and wrapped an arm around him. "Yes, but you didn't have to stay. I thought you were planning to leave last night after you had a shower." She said with a small frown.

"I was going to but your…incident made me change my mind. I can't have you getting hurt and then me leaving you all by yourself. What if something happened while I wasn't here? I would never forgive myself." Duo replied, slipping an arm around her middle and pulling her closer as his hand went lower.

"But I could always call you." She said her tone a little softer.

"But what if I came too late?" he pointed out.

"Then…" she grew playful, "I will come back to haunt you as my ghost forever until you die and then some." She said.

He smiled and pushed some hair out of her face. "That's a thought."

Rose pushed him away a few inches, exclaiming, "Duo!"

He pulled her back up against him and kissed her deeply, starting something they absolutely _had_ to finish.

Later when they finally dressed Duo took her out for lunch where they met up with Duo's friends Quatre and Trowa. Quatre was blond and just an inch shorter than Duo's 5'10 while the other young man was brunet and 6'1.

"Hey you guys!" Duo said when he saw them.

"Hello Duo." Quatre, the blond, replied. He looked at Rose, who held Duo's arm and asked, "Who is this? Rose?"

Duo looked at his girlfriend and grinned, "Yup. This is Rose Saiso. Rose this is Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba Winner." He replied.

"Hello, I'm glad I finally get to meet you." Rose said with a warm smile as she shook hands with each of the other two young men.

They took a table arranging for Rose to sit next to Duo and in front of Quatre. Throughout the lunch, Rose got to know Duo's two friends and vice versa. The guys thought she was a perfect match for the loud gundam pilot.

When they were getting ready to leave, Quatre took Rose to the side and said, "You make him happy, you know that right?"

She nodded with a small, shy smile.

"Well, I wouldn't be too surprised if he asks you to marry him sometime in the future." Once those words came from his mouth Rose instantly felt bad about what she was supposed to do.

"Thank you for letting me know Quatre. Let's hope he does." She said masking her true feelings about the situation. She would love to marry Duo, but if she had to do what she must in order to save her family, he would never forgive her.

Later that night, Rose decided that Duo must go back to his place for a little while. She needed to do something but on her own. He assumed it had something to do with him and so he left without any protests.

When she was alone in her apartment she decided that she would do what she must to save her family. But she would wait until the time was right.

The next day Rose stayed at her apartment and at noon she received a phone call from the very ones who had given her orders.

"Hello?" Rose said when she answered the phone.

"Have you completed your assignment yet?" came the harsh voice of one of the soldiers that she had previously met.

"No. But I am making progress." She replied.

"Work harder. You won't like the consequences if you fail to complete your assignment." The soldier said. Then he hung up, leaving Rose staring at the phone. She placed it back in the phone cradle. Five minutes later Rose writhed in pain as the choker sent waves of electricity through her body. She grabbed the counter with one hand as she fell to her knees on the floor. For just a couple of minutes, though it seemed much longer than that, the electricity currents ran through her and when they finally ceased, she collapsed for awhile.

When the phone rang again, Rose was more than just cautious about answering it. She waited until her answering machine came on to stand.

"Hey Rose," came Duo's voice, "I bet you're doing something important right now, but I wanted to tell you that me, Trowa and Heero are leaving,"

Rose then answered the phone, "Duo? Sorry, I just got home." She said.

"Hey babe," he replied.

"Go on," she prompted him.

"We have to leave on a mission tomorrow morning. But we'll be back the morning of Halloween. I'm sorry that it's last minute." He told her sincerely.

"It's okay. It's happened before. And if you give me an hour to prepare, I'll make you dinner." She said, regaining her calm composure.

"Just an hour? Okay. I'll be there in an hour and ten minutes, just to give you a little more time." Duo replied happily.

They hung up and Rose went to her refrigerator and took out food to make an all American dinner—hamburgers and french fries. She hurried to make the meal, but she had all the works for the hamburgers and then when she finished she still had twenty minutes to spare. She decided to change her clothes.

She went to her bedroom and then took a five-minute shower and changed into a white sundress with spaghetti straps and that had a large strawberry print. She slipped her feet into some flat-soled white sandals and then went into the kitchen to arrange the food in buffet style on the counter. Just as she was filling glasses with ice, the doorbell rang. Rose wiped her hands on a towel and then walked to the door. As she opened it, she was greeted by the over-powering scent of roses.

Duo held a bouquet of a dozen red roses in his arms as he grinned at her shocked expression. He stepped inside the doorway, moved aside the flowers and then kissed her full on the mouth. Rose opened to him and slid an arm around his shoulders and returned the kiss.

Duo pulled away a few minutes later, his kiss lingering on her lips. Rose smiled warmly at him and took the bouquet from him. He gave her another kiss before she could turn away.

"Thank you Duo." She said as she led him to the kitchen. She set the bouquet in a clear spot on the counter and turned to see Duo's reaction to the dinner.

His eyes were wide as he slowly looked around at everything. "No wonder you only asked for an hour." He remarked as he slipped his arms around her waist. He nudged aside the hair at her neck and lightly nibbled at her skin. Rose hugged his arms to her body and pressed back against him.

"Come on Duo. Or we'll never eat dinner." She said a few minutes later.

Duo lifted his head, blinked and then replied, "You're right. And I'm hungry."

Rose giggled, took one of his hands and led him to the food.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes and Disclaimers:** I don't own GW, but I DO own the Saisos.

**Chapter 3**

Later, after they had eaten and put all the other stuff away, they quietly sat on the couch in the living room, making out. Duo was half laying on the cushions with his legs over the side and Rose was part way on top of him. Rose was kissing him deeply. When she pulled away, she lay her head down on his chest and sighed with contentment. Duo lifted a hand and ran it over her long, unbound hair.

"I wish I didn't have to leave." Duo sighed. He moved upward to put his back against the couch arm and brought Rose into his lap all the way.

"I know. But we go through this every time. And if you make something of it this time, I will personally knock you out and drag you back to your friends." Rose said with a serious tone.

Duo stopped stroking her hair and with two fingers, lifted her head and stared into her serious, but with a hint of amusement, brown eyes. "I'm sure you would do that."

Rose's lips curled up into a smile and she leaned down to kiss Duo. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her down closer to him and wouldn't let her go. He only released her when he knew they were satisfied with the kiss. She lay breathless against him and snuggled against his body. Duo leaned his head against the top of hers and sighed contentedly.

"You, know," he started twenty minutes later, "I should really head back. Heero and Trowa are both early risers and they'll want to leave at dawn. They'll be pissed if I'm late and then sleep in." Duo said.

"Aw…and I guess they wouldn't forgive you sooner if I told them you were me, huh?" Rose replied with giggles.

"No, they wouldn't. They'd probably punish me longer." Duo replied, making a face. He sat up, Rose still on top of him and embraced her tightly. "I really should go. That way when I get up in the morning, I won't be cranky and then get on the other's nerves." He said. He kissed her deeply one last time and then let himself out of the apartment.

Rose stared after him but remained on the couch for a few minutes longer. She wanted her last moments with Duo to remain with her until well into the night. She knew that it would be on the day of Halloween that she would complete what she must do in order to have her family set free. She knew that she would have to trick the Gundam Pilots to get them where she wanted. Rose hated to do it, but she had to. She had to save her family; she could live without Duo's love, but she could never live without her family.

TBC

Note: Sorry this one was so short.


	4. Chapter 4

Notes and Disclaimers: Nope, I don't have GW as my own…..wish I did sometimes….then I could just forget about some of these idiots here at home…..

Chapter 4 

Halloween morning came by fast and found Rose shopping for a costume. She had put it off for long enough and she was afraid she wouldn't get many choices.

She finally found some and decided on a sexy policewoman outfit. As she paid for it, she smiled evilly to herself; she had a pair of real handcuffs at her apartment and knew that she would use them. But then her smile faltered. She would have to use them as part of her trick. She hurried back to her home and prepared to capture the Gundam Pilots.

She had a few sedative darts that she knew would work on the toughest of them and stored them a small leather purse she owned. With the other objects went a very small handgun. Looking around her room she pondered on what else she should carry with her as she picked off the pilots one by one.

She looked up at the clock in her kitchen when she finished getting ready and found that it was already four in the afternoon. She needed to leave if she wanted to do it that night. And she needed to do it or she would never actually do it. She grabbed her little leather purse and a pair of sturdy flat-soled sandals along with her car keys and headed out to her car. But before she managed to start her small car, she went back to her apartment and called the place Duo and his friends were staying at. She asked for Wufei and was promptly connected to him.

"Hello?" a deep, no-nonsense male voice said into the phone.

"Hi, is this Wufei?" she asked with a calm tone.

"Yes." He answered shortly.

"I was wondering if you could…how do I say this…give me some pointers in martial arts?" she asked timidly.

"Why?" he demanded, yet still using a polite tone of voice.

"I am already a second degree black belt in karate but I need some critique from someone not of my family nor who I have learned with." She said. She went for the truth, but she _did _lie to a certain point. She only wanted to get him someplace private, but she really was a black belt in karate, and while she made it up, she secretly wanted the pointers, but as it was she would not get them.

Wufei seemed to consider the request and then slowly replied, "Fine. Where do you want to meet?"

"Is the Saiso Karate place okay with you?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Then I'll meet you there." She said and then hung up. Then she relocked her door and walked quickly down to her car where she promptly climbed in and then drove off to her parent's karate place, where it also shared building with their home and her mother's little herbalist shop. When she pulled into the front of the building she turned the engine off and sank into her seat with slight relief when she discovered that Wufei was not there yet. That bought her a little time to get into the building and unlock the doors.

By the time she had unlocked the front doors and then walked inside to open the inner doors, she heard another car pull into the parking lot near the front of the building. She slowly walked out and watched as a Chinese man, Chang Wufei climb out of his small truck and then impatiently stride up to stand a few feet in front of the younger woman.

"Who are you exactly?" He demanded in a flat tone. But he was very serious and Rose could do nothing else but answer truthfully.

"My name is Suzumi Saiso but you probably have heard of me by the name of Rose." She replied sincerely.

"Yes. I have heard Maxwell babble quite often about his girlfriend." Wufei said, but he looked as if he only heard it because Duo had been obnoxiously annoying to the man. "I assume he is the one who informed you that I was a martial arts master?" he asked, but it was more of a statement than an actual question.

"Yes. I have opened one of the practice rooms, if you are ready?" Rose arched an eyebrow

"I am ready." He said simply. With that she turned and he followed her into the building and then into a very large room that had wall to wall mirrors throughout the whole entire room. The floor was hardwood and there were mats stacked up against one of the far walls. Wufei gazed around the room and then at the girl. She had moved closer to him and then all of a sudden she stabbed him with a very small dart and realized she was betraying him. He fell to the ground unconscious.

Rose caught him just before he fell hard on the floor and laid him down gently. She knew that when he woke up he would be furious. She stared down at him until she remembered that the dart would only last three hours, and then proceeded to drag him out of the building to her car. But he was heavy for all that he looked somewhat small. It took at least ten minutes to drag him carefully and as gently as she could out of her parent's building and to her car. But it took an extra ten minutes just to get him settled in the back seat. When she finished with him she hurried with relocking all the doors and then making sure his truck was locked before she climbed into her driver seat and drove off.

She pulled into a small parking lot in front of an old, abandoned warehouse. Once there she made sure nobody was around before she tended to Wufei once again. She dragged him as carefully as she had before into the building and sat him in a wooden, stiff backed chair she found. It took her twenty minutes to do all that. But then she found some long, strong ropes and tied Wufei to the chair. Each individual ankle was tied to a chair leg and then his wrists behind him and then a very long piece around his torso and the back of the chair. Rose even found a gag that she tied in a double knot around his slack mouth.

When she had finished with him she hurried back to her car. She had other people to capture and not a whole lot of time. She probably could get one more before Wufei woke and then she'd had to use another sedative dart on him to complete her mission. But if she was lucky she could get the majority of the pilots before Wufei woke.

She found a pay phone not too far away and when she inserted some change into it, she quickly dialed the number she had used not too long ago. And she was very glad when Quatre answered the phone, for he was to be the next victim. She managed to sound distressed while she talked to Quatre.

"Oh Quatre, I've found Wufei and he's unconscious! I didn't know what to do so I called you!" she lied.

"Don't worry Rose. Tell me where you both are and I'll come to you." He said.

She told him the directions of the warehouse and then swiftly hung up with him. After she left there she quickly drove back to the building and went inside to wait for the sweet blond man. She sat on the ground near the door, away from Wufei but she watched the unconscious man, hating herself for what she was doing. She had their trust and now she blew that. But Rose hardened herself for the sake of her family.

Quatre arrived shortly and Rose unfolded herself from her sitting position and rose to meet him outside.

"Oh I'm so glad that you found it all right!" she exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms, totally surprising him. "I don't know what had happened to Wufei, but I had to call someone! I wasn't sure if Duo was home, but…" she trailed off, all the while bursting into genuine tears. She really hated herself for this betrayal, and was mentally punishing herself already.

Quatre gave her a gentle hug and then said, "Come on. Let's go to Wufei."

Sniffing and drawing back from him, Rose nodded and led him into the building. When she entered the room holding Wufei, she let Quatre go ahead of her as she stealthily drew her small gun. She followed him up to Wufei and before he could turn around to face her, she hit him in the back of his head with the butt of the gun. He crumbled to the ground with Rose catching him, the gun falling from her hand to the floor, and then laying him down.

"I'm so sorry Quatre. I didn't want to do this." She cried as she scooped up her gun and put it away. But she wiped her tears away and found some more rope on the other side of the room, with which she tied Quatre to another chair but away from Wufei. She added a gag and tied it securely. After that she found a length of chain and with it she pushed it through between Quatre's back and the chair and then dragged his chair over to a support beam where she managed to chain his chair to the beam. She didn't want him to wake up while she was gone and then drag himself over to Wufei and get them untied.

She also hoped that neither of them would wake before she came back with Trowa, if the other three were back from their mission. She took another long look at the two and then left the building. She glanced at Quatre's car and had to go back to his unconscious body and fish his keys out of a pocket. She drove the blond's car to sit next to Wufei's at her parent's home and business and then took a bus back to the warehouse. But she slipped Quatre's keys into her pocket and found Wufei's and slipped them in with the blond's.

"How am I going to get Trowa? What excuse can I use?" she thought as she gazed around at the interior of the warehouse. "Oh, I guess I'll just use the same excuse for him as I did Quatre." She concluded.

She found a phone a little while later and used the same tactic on Trowa as she had done on Quatre. When she gave him the directions he said that he would be there as soon as he could and hung up. She returned the phone back to its rightful place and then drove back to the warehouse to wait for the third pilot.

Trowa arrived about ten minutes after she had called and came into the warehouse on his own. Rose had been standing in the shadowed doorway when he walked through. One arm was upraised with her gun and just as she brought it down hard on his head, she cried, "I'm sorry."

He fell against her and she wrapped her arms around him all the while her gun bounced on the floor and ended up near the closest support beam. She ignored it while she dragged him to a different beam deeper in the room, to the one next to Quatre. But they were spread far enough from each other that even if one of them strained they would not be able to reach each other. Rose set the taller pilot against the beam and went for ropes. When she had gathered enough to firmly secure Trowa, she realized there were none left so she would have to find other means of binding for Heero and possibly Duo.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Shaine: Thank you so much Frankie! I'll try to get at least one or maybe even two chaps up whenever I update.

Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW…what a pity whereas I own the Saisos.

**  
Chapter 5**

This time she went back to her apartment, she had glanced at her watch and found that it was about six. She figured she should call Duo now and worry about Heero for later that night. She knew that if she needed more sedatives she could just rummage through her mother's herbs until she found a sleep inducer.

She dialed the same number she had been using and was not too surprised when Duo answered the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

"Duo! You're home!" she exclaimed, hoping that the others had not told him where they were going. She didn't want him suspicious or to know until it was time.

"Yup! I've been home for only a couple of hours though. We ran kinda late." He replied cheerfully.

"Hmm…Well, are you in the mood for a moonlight walk tonight?" Rose asked.

"What are you kidding? I've been away for how long?" he retorted sarcastically. "OF COURSE I want to walk tonight! I wanna see you!" he said. "Besides, I'm sure we'll also get some candy…"

"Okay," she laughed weakly. "I'll change into a costume and meet you…where?" she asked.

"How about the end of your street?" he suggested.

"Sure. I'll be down there waiting for you in twenty minutes." She replied.

They hung up and she went to her room. She decided she wouldn't wear the policewoman costume so instead she put on her karate gi, black belt and all. She slipped into a pair of thin hemp sandals and grabbed a brush from her bathroom. She ran it through her long black hair and then braided it. She wrapped it around her head and then pinned it in place. Once ready, she slipped Trowa's, Quatre's, and Wufei's keys into a deep pocket and arranged them to where she couldn't hear them jingle when she walked. She quickly left her apartment and then remembered that she had forgotten to check her prisoners for weapons. Though she knew she bound them well, they were elite soldiers; they would find a way to free themselves.

She hurried to her car, jumped in and drove a little over the speed limit to the warehouse. (Luckily, she didn't pass any cops) She ran into the building and screeched to a halt when she found that all three of them were awake and very aware of their surroundings. They turned to look at her the best they could with their bindings and then gave her dangerously blank looks.

"Look you guys," she started, all the while biting back tears that had instantly sprang to her eyes, "I'm eternally sorry that I had to do this, but it was to save my family." She stopped, swallowed and then walked slowly toward Quatre and Trowa. "And right now I need to take any weapons off of you." She said very hesitantly.

They only looked at her.

"Please. I need to know if you have any. I just want to save my family." She pleaded with them. She watched as they all looked at each other and then reluctantly nod. Letting tears of relief flow down her face she moved to Trowa, who was closest to her and reached out to untie his gag. "I'm going to leave this off if you give me your word you won't call for help." At his nod and the other two as well she swiftly worked her fingers through the knot and let the piece of cloth fall to the cement floor. Before she asked for their weapons she untied Quatre's and Wufei's gags.

"Now, may I please know if and where you have weapons?" she asked quietly. Though she still had a few tears running down her face, she ignored them, as did the three captives.

Wufei spoke up promptly, "Spine sheath and small dagger at hip." But that was all he would say.

Rose was mentally awed that she had never even found them when she had to drag him earlier that day, but remained silent as she retrieved them from his bound form.

She set them on the floor where she had originally been standing and turned to Quatre, who said only, "Shoulder holster." Rose silently collected that weapon and with it still in hand, checked that the safety was on and then turned to Trowa.

"Gun at lower back and dagger in boot." Trowa said in a monotone. Rose collected his weapons and then gathered them all up.

As she made her way to leave, without bothering with the gags again, she said, "Please don't try to escape. I am grateful for your cooperation so far, but I don't want to lose my family. I'll be back later." She added as she left and locked the warehouse doors behind her.

She drove back to her apartment as fast as she could get away with and not get caught. Then she started running down the street as she shoved her keys into the pocket with the other sets. She had stowed the weapons from her captives in the trunk of her car and locked it. She didn't want anything to happen to them. She unconsciously planned on returning them to their rightful owners.

She screeched to a halt when she found Duo and almost ran into him. He caught her and put an arm around her waist to steady her. While she caught her breath back Duo said, "What took you? I've been here for like thirty minutes."

When Rose was able to talk she said, "I'm sorry. I got sidetracked. Tesuki called me and asked for me to drive him to a friend's Halloween party. But I hurried back as fast as I could." She lied. She surprised herself at how good the lie sounded, and that she didn't even think about it before saying it.

Duo kissed her forehead and smoothed back a few flyaway strands of hair. Rose leaned into him, slipping an arm around his waist.

"I missed you." Rose whispered, looking up into his violet eyes.

Duo tilted her head back and lowered his till they were kissing deeply. When they managed to pull away from lack of air, he whispered back, "I missed you too."

Rose straightened up, an arm still around him and said, "Well, let's go." Duo grinned and nodded, leading her away.

Two hours later, Rose knew that she would have to do it. They were sitting in the park on a bench, and Duo's arms were around her while he set his chin on her shoulder. She slipped her hand into a different pocket from the many sets of keys and drew out the handcuffs. She discreetly turned in his arms and snapped the cuffs onto his wrists a little more tightly than she had wanted. But they weren't tight enough to where it would hurt him and she didn't want him to escape.

"Rose!" Duo exclaimed when she got both of them on.

Rose giggled and kissed him deeply, tongue and all. When she broke it off she slipped from his arms and grabbed at the chain between his hands.

"Come with me, my scourge of the night." She said with a sly teasing tone. She gave him a coy look and swayed her hips as she led him back to her car, which was a few blocks away.

"Where are we going, my seductress of the dark?" he asked with the same tone.

"Oh, you'll see." Her voice fading to her normal tone. She bit her lip and was glad Duo could not see her face as her happiness to be with him fell from her expression.

When she finally reached her car she gently shoved Duo into the passenger seat and slid gracefully into the driver seat all the while pulling her keys from her pocket carefully running her fingers over them to make sure she didn't pull out one her captives' sets. Then she drove to the warehouse and cut her engine. She turned in her seat as Duo stared out the windshield.

"Where are we?" he asked. He leaned forward in his seat to try and get a better look, but it had been dark for at least an hour and a half if not two hours. And there were no streetlights close enough to make out the large building.

"Oh, you'll see." She replied coolly. She climbed out and then opened Duo's door.

But before she led him to the building, she slipped under his arms and said, "Whatever happens, know that I have and will always love you." With that she kissed and clung to him as if desperate.

When she released him, she knew he was puzzled over her words, but took the chain in her hands again and led him into the building. She pushed him ahead of her right after she unlocked the double doors and then followed behind him relocking the doors behind them. But he stopped dead still when he caught sight of what lay in the room.

Quatre, Trowa and Wufei looked up at Duo and then caught sight of Rose standing somewhat behind the American. Duo's mouth hung open as his mind realized this was a total blowout betrayal. But as he turned his head to look at his traitorous girlfriend, he heard as well as saw her burst into tears. He moved away from her as his anger built up and sat on the floor closer to his friends, who still did not said anything.

"I'm so sorry. And I'll always be." Rose said through her onslaught of tears. "I only wanted to save my family." She sank to the floor and slid herself into a shadow. But after a few minutes she rose and walked over to the far wall where she opened a concealed phone. She picked up the receiver and dialed a few numbers.

The men heard her say, "I have all that I could get. You can come." There was a short pause before she said, "Bring Tesuki. I want to see him! I want to see that he is unharmed."

Then she hung up and walked over to a corner near the doors. She slid down the wall and brought her knees up under her chin. She wrapped her arms around them and cried.

"I didn't want to do it. But they took my family and threatened they'd kill them if I didn't capture the Gundam Pilots. They somehow found out that I was dating Duo." Rose cried trying to justify herself to the people she had wronged. "And they told me that if I told any of you, that they would kill my family and they would kill me too. But I so wanted to tell you; I didn't want to do it."

She remained silent after that and stayed in her corner until there was a hard pounding at the double doors. Wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks, she rose and went to the door to unlock it.

Soldiers of Oz stood in front of her and she moved back inside the building so they could file in. The last soldier led a little boy twelve years of age. It looked as if he had been crying, but trying to put on a brave face for his sister. His wrists were tied together but that was all the restraint on him apart from the metal choker around his neck.

"Tesuki!" Rose exclaimed as she tried to run to her little brother. But a soldier stopped Rose.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW, but I own the Saisos.

Chapter 6 

"Halt or they all die." Rose looked around and found the four young men and her brother had guns to their heads.

Rose remained where she stood but said, "You said that if I captured the Gundam Pilots you would set my family free. Now keep your word and let me have my brother and take me to my parents!" she demanded.

This was when one of her captives chose to speak up and it was Duo who did, "Oz never keeps their word. Now that they have the majority of us. They'll do anything to get a hold of Heero. But they will also keep you and your family hostage or kill you. You know too much." He said flatly, his voice emotionless.

Rose looked over at him, her face falling. She knew he spoke the truth; she still trusted him with all her heart. She turned her head back to her brother, tears silently began running down her face. Then she sank down onto the floor and barely paid attention to the soldiers of Oz as they untied the Gundam Pilots but then retied them to escort them out of the building.

They took Wufei out last and when he was gone, two soldiers came up to her.

"You are to come with us. Boss said you had to." One soldier said.

Rose stood and silently followed them outside to a covered army truck where she climbed up inside. She was almost glad that she was not forced to sit next to the friends she had betrayed, but dismayed when she was not anywhere near her brother.

They drove in silence for about thirty minutes and then come to a stop. Rose gets out and is followed by all the soldiers and the betrayed ones. Her brother was taken separately from the group and Rose never saw him after that. They were led into a room that had one wall that was entirely made of glass. Rose glanced through it and realized it looked down into a torture chamber, dungeon type room. Just as she realized what it was, the soldiers were taking the Gundam Pilots down the stairs to it. When they were secured, the soldiers returned upstairs and then left through another door on the far right.

Rose found a chair and sank down onto it, trying not to cry again. But she looked up when a lone soldier walked through the far door the others had left through. This soldier was obviously the boss; his clothing was more elaborate in a few medals and it was freshly pressed.

"Suzumi Saiso I presume." He said in an amused sort of voice.

"Yes sir." She said meekly, though with all the crying she had been doing, she wouldn't raise her voice any higher than they could hear her with what she was using now.

"Why did you fail to bring us the most important Gundam Pilot? Pilot 01, Heero Yui?" the boss asked his voice sounded like steel now.

"I…I did not know he was that important, sir. And before I could get him, he was away on another mission. I did not know this until after I already had three of them." She replied. "Now that you have them you must give me your word that you will not kill or torture them!" she said, her voice firm and serious yet she was still speaking in her soft tone.

"Done. But aren't you wondering about your parents? You have not seen them these past few weeks." The man said with cruel intent.

Her head shot up as she looked into his eyes. "What do you mean by that? What have you done to my parents!" she demanded. Dread along with a great rush of anger ran through her but she locked it down before someone was killed because of it.

"I have done nothing without them provoking me." He replied.

"What did you do to my parents!" Rose demanded, slowly spitting her words out for her anger was beginning to get the best of her.

"Come with me." He turned and walked to the door not seeing if the girl followed him.

Rose followed but only because she dreaded something awful had happened to her beloved family.

They walked by at least three doors in a long corridor before the boss soldier stopped. He opened the door to his left and bid her to go in.

"Here is your answer." He said.

Rose looked at him with anger on her face but she tentatively walked into the darkened room. She found a light switch and gasped when she found two sheet-covered bodies lying on tables in the room. She instantly started sobbing as she walked to the tables and lifted a corner of each sheet. She put them down as quickly as she had lifted them.

They were her parents. And they were dead.

Rose stalked out of the room and pounded the Oz soldier on the chest, yelling, "How could you? Why did you kill them? You said they would only die if I had not completed what you set for me to do! How could you kill them?"

The man grabbed her hands in a hard grip that hurt her just from the sheer strength of it. "Your parents provoked me and in my anger I had them killed. And if you provoke me I will kill your brother. He is just two doors down." He said in a steel hard voice tinged with anger.

That statement shook Rose out of most of her anger and she took her hands from his grip, which had loosened so she could and lowered them to her sides.

"Now if you would follow me please." He said, leading her back to the room they had previously been in.

The chair Rose had been sitting in was drawn up close to the window and the soldier boss all but forced her into the chair. Rose sat silently and stared into the torture chamber. She gasped quietly as she saw Trowa, his shirt gone and his wrists tied with ropes hanging from the ceiling. His arms were up above his head and could not move them without dislocating a shoulder or breaking something. His legs were also tied to the ground by another set of ropes.

"What are you doing to him!" Rose said, her voice sounding a little higher than usual.

The man said calmly, "They will not tell us what we want to know willingly, so we are forced to try other methods."

Rose sharply turned her head and said angrily, "You gave your word that you would not torture or kill them! This is going back on your word!"

The man signaled and two soldiers came up on either side of Rose and clamped hands down on her shoulders. Rose gave a little yelp and once again stared out into the chamber below.

As she watched an enemy took a long strap of leather to Trowa's back. It wasn't until Trowa's back was a bloody mess that Rose saw he had fallen unconscious.

"STOP!" she yelled. "Can't you see he's not even conscious?"

Pausing from the outburst he heard up the stairs, the soldier with the strap looked up at the window. The other pilots looked as well.

Rose now wrenched herself from under the hands of the other soldiers and stood to face their boss.

"He can't tell you anything if he's unconscious!" Rose continued yelling, "STOP this madness. You gave me your word that you wouldn't torture them!"

"Like the dark one down there said when we brought you in, Oz never keeps their word." The man said in a calm, even voice. Then he turned and walked out of the room, all of his soldiers following him. Even the one who had tortured Trowa.

That left Rose all alone in the room with a wall-sized window that looked down into a torture chamber. She made up her mind and decided that she would forfeit her life in order to save theirs, down in the chamber. She ran outside and found a bus to take her to the warehouse. She got into her car and drove back to where her people were being held. Gathering the weapons and a first aid kit she had stashed from her trunk she walked cautiously into the building. There were no soldiers anywhere. She walked cautiously down into the chamber and gingerly stepped into sight, next to Trowa hanging unconsciously.

Duo, Wufei and Quatre were on upright slabs of metal with their wrists and ankles held away from their bodies, metal bands locking them against the slab. They couldn't move their limbs and if they struggled something was sure to get broken.

"What? Come to finish the job with our own weapons?" Duo asked cruelly.

Rose bit back a sob as she firmly replied, "No. I've come to set you free."

Duo looked almost somewhat surprised but hid it and said nothing else. They all watched as Rose set the weapons down all except for one of the daggers, on the floor. She stepped right up to Trowa, standing in front of him and bent to cut the ropes at his feet and then straightened up to slowly cut him down. As one rope fell, Trowa fell against the girl, but she braced herself as she cut the other. She dropped the dagger as Trowa fell heavily against her. She caught him and gently and carefully lowered him and herself to the floor where she could lie him face down on her legs so she could bandage him up.

While she tended to their fallen friend Rose started talking, "Do you want to know how long I've had to capture you?" she didn't wait for a reply, "Ever since that night I got home from a date with Duo weeks ago. I walked in my apartment and found my parents tied and unconscious, my brother tied to a chair a gun to his head and soldiers all around them and me. They told me that I had to capture the Gundam Pilots in order to set my parents free. Or they would kill them if I refused. I couldn't refuse."

She slowly wrapped the bandage around Trowa as gently as she could and when she finished she felt Trowa stirring. She let him wake before moving and continuing with her story.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered to him as he tried to rise. "Just stay here. I'll get the others out and they'll help you up."

He stilled at her words and then reluctantly stayed put, though it was the pain that kept him from really moving. Rose slowly stood and then found the keys to the metal slabs hanging on the wall near the door. She retrieved them and stood near Duo.

"The day after I was told to meet them in the warehouse that I took y'all to. That was where they made me put this collar on," She said, fingering the metal circle around her throat with her free hand. "It's an electricity collar and it has gone off at least once a day since I've had it." Quatre gave an involuntary gasp of dismay, "My brother has one too, but whatever he receives I receive double." She moved to the closest lock and inserted the key.

"Since then my brother and parents have been held captives. All this time I've known what to do but I didn't want to do it. But I wanted to save my family. I love them dearly. But I couldn't bear it if I had to betray you. But they were getting angry and the threats came in greater numbers." She said as she turned the key. The lock popped open and Duo moved his ankle from its holding place. "Right before I had to watch Trowa get hurt I was told, actually I was shown, to my parents. They are dead." She said flatly. There were a few tears escaping from her eyes, but they went unnoticed. She moved onto the other lock and inserted the key, but didn't turn it.

"I know you hate me, and that my life is forfeit now that I am freeing you, but I must ask a favor." She continued.

"What is it?" Quatre asked in a small voice.

"Rescue my brother." She replied simply.

"Impossible." Wufei said flatly.

"Then you want me to lock you back up and leave you for Oz? Or kill you myself? Take your pick: live and rescue my brother or die either by my hand or OZ. And I'm sure you'd rather die by MY hand than theirs." She said firmly. "I may not know how to shoot a gun, but I have a choice of weapons." She swept a hand over the hardware that she had taken from them.

"We'll get your brother." Quatre said quietly. The others looked at him and the blond gave a small nod to the girl.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW, how many more times must I say that? Oh well…I own the Saisos anyway.

**Chapter 7**

Rose unlocked the next two locks, but when there was still one remaining, her choker gave off strong electric currents and she collapsed onto the slab, writhing in pain. Unknowingly the currents traveled through the metal and gave Duo a dose of what she was going through. But when his breath hissed through his teeth and he gave a sound of pain, Rose realized what was happening and rolled away from him. She managed to stay away from anything else metal and lay on the floor while she was engulfed by the energy currents. It lasted for a few minutes and when it finally finished she lay gasping for breath. While still reclaiming her breath she slowly rose on all fours and then to her knees. She picked the keys up from the ground and returned to her task.

"Are you alright?" Quatre asked timidly.

"Well, they didn't kill me yet, so I guess I am." She tried for a light tone, but couldn't manage with a voice that cracked.

"That's what happened when…" Duo trailed off, closing his mouth. He was beyond angered by what Rose had done, but deep within his heart he still loved her.

"Yes." She replied simply, "Remember to save my brother. He is all that is left of my family."

"We will." Quatre promised in a whisper.

Rose finished getting Duo free and then moved on to Quatre. As she moved on to Wufei, Duo and Quatre were supporting Trowa between them and they had reclaimed their weapons. When Wufei was free and reclaiming his weapons Rose tossed the keys on the ground and said, "His name is Tesuki and he's through the door on the far right and down two doors. I'm not sure if he knows about our parents, but…" she trailed off.

"We'll keep him safe and when you come to get him you can tell him then." Quatre said softly.

Rose wasn't so sure she would be going back. She had told them her life was forfeit and they knew it too. But something had to be said to keep hopes up for her. Rose felt her pockets and then remembered,

"Oh! I almost forgot." She reached into her pocket and drew out all the sets of keys she had. "I have your keys." She gave Quatre his and Trowa's. She threw Wufei's to him and then quickly dropped her own into Duo's hand. "My car is outside. Quatre and Wufei's are at the Saiso Karate building and Trowa's is still at the warehouse on Aster Way. Use my car to escape." She said.

Then they heard a commotion upstairs.

"Get my brother and get out of here!" Rose yelled. They didn't have to be told twice. They left as quickly as they could and Rose sank to her knees and then sat on the floor.

Ten minutes later Rose was still in the chamber when five soldiers entered it. They stopped dead still when they found their prisoners gone and just the girl that had captured them in the first place sitting on the floor, with the keys to the shackle locks near her.

"Why you little bitch," One of them snarled as they stepped towards her. She tilted her head back to look up at them, but she refused to rise for them. She wasn't going to make it easy for them. They surrounded her in a matter of seconds and the collar went off again. Not risking joining her in her electric torment, the soldiers watched but when it ceased, they started their own tormenting. Rose was only aware when the physical torment ever ended and the electric started again. And she only remembered that she would hurt like hell when and if she ever woke up after they were through.

TBC

Note: sorry that was short, but it ended there for that part. It'll get better, don't worry. I am too much a romantic to have an unhappy ending.


	8. Chapter 8

Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW, but I own the Saisos.

**Chapter 8**

Rose slowly woke and as she gathered her thoughts together the best she could she found that her whole body hurt and felt very battered. And that she was lying on a bed with just a light sheet covering her, but she wore a very loose and very long shirt along with a pair of her panties, that much she knew. She opened her eyes and stared up at a familiar ceiling. But she hurt too much to really think about it. She turned her head and even doing that hurt.

"You're awake!" Quatre said as he came to kneel down by her side. He looked a little surprised that she woke, but she was totally confused of how she came to be with the ones she had betrayed. "No, don't try to speak yet." He said, concern filled his face when she tried to get her voice to work for her.

She just stared at him, closing her mouth but looked over his shoulder when Trowa entered the room. He winced a little as he moved but other than that she couldn't tell he had ever been hurt. Quatre followed her gaze and then told his friend, "She's awake."

Trowa walked over to them and he looked down. "Do you hurt?"

Rose gave a slight nod of her head and then winced. She hurt a lot, who was he kidding? And what _had_ been done to her? She wondered as she lay there.

Just as she finished those thoughts she realized that she was in their shared home and she was in Duo's room, in Duo's bed. But when she realized this, she grew sad. She loved Duo, but she knew he must hate her.

But Quatre brought her out of her thoughts. "We have your brother here with us, but he wants to see you. I told him not until you wake, but it's been three days and he's mad with worry." He said. He turned as Trowa entered the room again, this time with medicine and a small boy following behind him.

"Quatre? Is my sister okay? Nothing's happened?" Tesuki asked from the doorway.

Rose stared at her brother while Trowa helped her down some painkillers and then he helped her sit up.

Quatre looked at Rose and then at her brother, not knowing what to say. But Tesuki walked tentatively deeper into the room and when he saw his sister aware of her surroundings, he ran the rest of the way to the bed. Trowa backed away as Quatre frowned in concern for Rose's welfare. He knew she wasn't up to talking yet.

Rose wanted to reach out to her little twelve-year-old brother but found that her left arm, which was closest to the edge was heavily bandaged and looked like it was also in a splint. She felt that her right leg was the same and she had other bandages all over her, but luckily her face did not have any at all.

Her brother stepped right up to the bed and reached out with a hand towards her face. He lightly touched her cheek and Rose saw tears in his eyes.

"Suzumi, they won't tell me about Mom and Dad. Do you know where they are? What happened to them?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Rose's eyes closed as tears ran down her cheeks. She turned away from him and Quatre intervened and said, "Come on Tesuki, it's time for your sister to rest now. Maybe when she's feeling better she'll tell you." He said in a soothing tone of voice. He put an arm around the boy's shoulders and led him out.

Rose watched them go, but her tears did not cease. Her grief was pouring out, finally having a time to come out into the open. She turned her face away from the room and closed her eyes. A minute into her silent tears she felt a weight settle next to her on the bed. She remained as she was but heard,

"I know you must hurt like hell, but would it help if you have a shoulder to cry on?" Trowa asked softly. He, just as lightly as Tesuki, touched her cheek when she turned her head toward him.

Rose looked up into his face, found the honesty there and allowed her head to drop lightly onto his offered shoulder. She cried for as long as she could and when her tears dried on her cheeks she moved her right hand across her lap, which to her surprise didn't have any bandages covering it, and found one of his hands. She turned it palm up and slowly traced a sequence of letters one at a time on his palm. She spelt out thank you. When she finished she lifted her head from him, to look into his eyes.

"Remember you helped me." He said as he rose and left the room. Quatre had still not returned, but Rose was tired and slowly proceeded to lay back down when the last person she expected to see in the world popped into the room.

She stared at Duo just as he did the same from inside the doorway.

"Do you need help?" he asked, his tone emotionless just as his face was carefully masked from being read. This was not at all Duo's personality. He must have still been hurting deeply from her actions.

She nodded slightly and he crossed the room in three strides. He carefully helped her down, touching her as little as possible and then took a step back when he was done. She mouthed her thanks and though she wanted nothing more to just stare at the man she still loved, her body was tired and she quickly fell asleep. Duo left without another glance at her and went downstairs to join Tesuki and Trowa in an ongoing game of Risk.

When Rose woke again her whole body still hurt, but it had dimmed the tiniest bit, though not by much. She slowly moved her head and found it was dark out the window across the room on the left side and there was a small lamp on near her. Trowa sat in a chair by the lamp reading a book, but looked up when he caught movement on the bed. He set his book down and came to her side.

"If you're wondering what time it is, it's ten thirty." He said in a quiet tone. It was almost a whisper, but not quite.

She just stared at him and then tried to get her voice working again for the second time that day, but Trowa stopped her by coming closer to her and shaking his head.

"Don't. Heero said that trying to use your voice anytime soon will permanently damage it." Trowa said.

Rose looked down in dismay. She wanted to talk. She wanted to know why they rescued her, why they were taking care of her, why they didn't just leave her to die. She wanted to know if her brother had any lasting effects from the collar. She wanted to know how long it had been since that day she had captured them and then set them free. She wanted to know so much and she couldn't use her voice. Damn Oz!

She motioned for his hand, which he laid on the bed palm up. He knew to some extent that she wanted information.

"How long" she traced on his palm and when she finished he asked, "How long you've been here?" She nodded ever so slightly. "Six days. Almost a week."

She traced "why" this time.

He looked at her for a minute before saying, "Why you are specifically here?" she shook her head but then nodded a little. "Then you're wanting to know why we rescued you," She nodded. "Hm…Let's see. Your brother wouldn't leave without you, but we brought him here first and then Quatre, Duo and Heero, who had come back that early morning, went back for you. They found you beaten pretty badly and unconscious. Heero figured out how to get the choker off without it setting off again and left it on the floor. They brought you back here and I and Quatre have been tending to your wounds. You have a lot I'm afraid. Your left arm is fractured in three places. Your right leg was slightly cracked, but that will heal with a lot of rest. We're pretty sure a couple of your ribs were fractured the tiniest bit. And overall, you're just seriously bruised and look thoroughly beaten. Luckily nothing is broken, well except for your heart I guess." He added hesitantly, but a little boldly as well.

Rose was almost astonished by how much Trowa spoke. The first time she met him she could barely get a full five-word sentence from him. And it wasn't because she didn't try. He was just a person who didn't talk much if the situation didn't warrant it. He was always so quiet. She gave the slightest of nods and again traced the word why on his palm.

He studied her before answering, "Why exactly we rescued you? Well, Tesuki wouldn't come until we practically promised we would get you. He found out that we won't tell him anything concerning your parents…and though he seems to hate you for all you're worth, I know for a fact that Duo still loves you." He whispered.

Rose felt like she had been punched again. She couldn't believe what he had just told her and it must have shown on her face because Trowa said, "You don't believe me. I don't really blame you, but why else would you be in _his_ room?" he asked.

Rose closed her mouth from gaping and looked thoughtful. She _had_ wondered about that. And the answer still surprised her.

"Now, since you're awake again, I'm supposed to ask if you're hungry." He said, "Quatre told me too. But I told him I didn't think you would be. Are you?"

She shook her head to where it wouldn't hurt and gave him a very small smile.

"Okay, another question. Are you still hurting?" he asked.

She traced "duh" on his hand and then added, "a lot". He chuckled softly and then said, "I'll go get you some more painkillers." Before he could leave, Rose grabbed his hand and traced "thirsty too". "Okay. I'll bring you a large glass of something. It depends on what we have. Oh by the way, your brother is a joy to be around." He added, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"I know." She traced and nodded her head. Trowa left the room while Rose lifted right her hand and carefully looked it over. There was a large purplish-greenish bruise on her forearm that trailed up to her elbow and a little past. Then her gaze went to her left arm in the splint. She gently started touching around her arm to find where the bandages actually began and ended and a couple of times she found where it hurt the worst.

She was too intoned in herself when Trowa returned that when he spoke she jumped, causing her whole body to protest and she nearly fainted from the pain. Trowa was instantly by her side adjusting the blanket around her also soothing her with his voice. He didn't want to touch her for fear of hurting her.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" he asked.

Rose collected her bearings again and focused on his face. He reached over and pushed some of her long hair out of her face. She looked up into his eyes and then slowly pushed him away. Before she could motion for his hand he offered it to her. She immediately though her hand shook just a little bit, traced "hurt" on his palm.

"I bet. I'm sorry." He replied as he helped her down the painkillers he had brought. He left a large glass of water on the nightstand next to the bed and said, "You should sleep again. It'll help you heal. I should know, it helped me. Quatre made me sleep for about two days." He added with a tiny smirk.

Rose gave him a smile and he helped her settle back down on the bed. Before long she was asleep again.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW, but I own the Saisos.

**Chapter 9**

Two days passed before Rose was allowed to speak, but Tesuki was patient enough to wait and he continued to visit his sister. On the day she could talk he went to her as soon as she woke up. He wanted to know about their parents and he had waited long enough to find out.

Quatre was in the room with Rose when Tesuki silently walked in. The twelve-year-old went right up to the bedside before anything could be said to him.

"Suzumi!" Tesuki said to get her attention.

Rose looked at her brother and then up at Quatre. She sat against the pillows behind her, her hair loose all around her, looking ruffled and a bit tangly, though she had just brushed it, but she had to do it one handedly, which made it harder. Quatre nodded and then left the room so the two siblings could talk.

"Tesuki, how have you been? I've been so wanting to know, but I wasn't allowed to speak." Rose said, relishing that she could use her voice now, although it was quiet and unused for so long. She didn't care _what _they talked about as long as she _could_ speak.

"I'm fine. The guys are great! I think they like me being around. There's always someone to play a game with." Tesuki said his eyes bright and glowing.

"Good." She said as she bid him to sit on the bed with her. He did so and looked up at her with a serious glint in his almond-shaped brown eyes.

"Suzumi, what happened to Mom and Dad?" he asked. "Where are they?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, she hated to tell him, but she had to. "The soldiers…they…they killed Mom and Dad." She started.

Anger flashed through Tesuki, but as that passed he filled up with grief. Rose reached out with her good arm and pulled her brother to her. She joined him in his tears and comforted him as best she could.

"Is it true? They're really dead?" he asked choking back tears, though they kept flowing.

"Yes. I saw them." She replied.

"What about all those Oz soldiers? Aren't they going to come for us?" he asked, changing to the subject partly.

Rose couldn't answer, but the shadow that had been in the doorway for a minute said, "No." the two siblings looked up and found Heero. "We retrieved the bodies of your parents and then blew the place up. Your parents are waiting at the morgue for a funeral." He concluded and then left.

Tesuki cried for a little while longer but when he left the room he was slowly almost dragging his feet. Rose watched him go and then turned away as Quatre followed him (the blond had been nearby the door).

Trowa came in ten minutes later and found Rose trying to get out of the bed.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" he asked sharply, putting his hands on her shoulders but gently so he wouldn't hurt her.

"I want to sit in the chair. I'm tired of the bed." She said in a slight snappish tone. Then she sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to staying still for a long period of time." She said.

"It's okay." He replied as moved his hands gently and picked her up. She winced as he held her but it was only for about a minute and he placed her gently in the armchair. Wincing a lot while she moved, Rose settled herself as comfortably in the chair as she could manage. When she no longer winced from the immediate pain of being moved she let out a sigh. She still hurt, but she wasn't moving, so it was dimming.

Trowa handed her some medicine which she took obediently and drained her glass of water. Then she asked him randomly, "When can I go to my home? Tesuki has been out of school so much I am afraid he'll be held behind and I now have karate classes to teach."

Trowa studied her for a long minute and then answered, "I think the answer is quite obvious. You won't be able to even drive for awhile, let alone being able to teach a very physical class. And then there's the matter of being made legal guardian of your brother. So you will not be leaving until you are healed." He replied with finality in his voice.

Rose sighed heavily and turned her head away from him. He left without another word and she picked up a book from the table beside the chair. She read for a long while but fell asleep, the book open on her lap.

Quatre found her like that and moved the book from her lap. Then he tucked a blanket around her, for he knew that if he tried to move her she would hurt so he left her like she was and left the room. Rose slept through the night in the chair and when she woke in the morning she found Tesuki sitting on the floor beside her, but sleeping with his head against the chair. She gently touched his head and stroked his hair. He woke up and then looked up at his sister. Rose discovered tearstains on his cheeks.

"Come here, Tesuki. Up here on my lap." She said softly full of sympathy.

"But-" he tried to protest. He didn't want to hurt his sister; she had been hurt enough.

"I want you to. If you hurt me I'll tell you." She said.

Tesuki took his sister's words to heart and tentatively climbed up into her lap. He settled lightly on her legs as she held him like a child. Rose stroked his hair as she asked softly, "What happened? What made you cry?"

"I had a dream about Mom and Dad." He replied in a whisper. "I dreamed about when we were taken."

Rose sympathized with her brother and held him, though she winced as she held him. She wasn't ready to hold people like that yet. But she kept Tesuki with her while he cried again.

Trowa found them as they were and at Rose's silent insisting, had him take Tesuki. Her brother had fallen into a fitful sleep, but didn't really stir when Trowa carefully lifted him from his sister. He cradled the boy in his arms and took him to the room that they had arranged for the boy.

Trowa returned a few minutes later and found Rose sitting still in the chair. She had a serious look on her face, but then turned it into a soft caring one as she looked up at him.

"Your brother is in bed. Quatre went to stay with him, along with Duo. Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Can I have some soup? I'm hungry." She said quietly.

"I'll be back." He said as he left the room once again.

Later that afternoon, Rose was determined to have a bath. But Quatre and Trowa both thought it a bad idea, since she couldn't walk, and that she would need help once out of her clothes. And they were both not wanting to be in the same room with her without her clothes on, not when Duo was still in love with her and in the same house.

"Come on. Just take off the splints when I'm in there. It's not as if I can't bathe myself!" she said seriously, though still using her quiet tone, but full of determination.

"But come on Rose. You can't even walk! How do you plan on getting out of the tub?" Quatre retorted.

"I'll figure out a way. Just please, can I?" she asked still determined to get clean.

Quatre and Trowa both sighed. "Fine. I'll carry you in there and take off the splints, but you call us if you need help." Trowa said, giving in.

"I will." She promised. Trowa gently scooped her up and carried her to the nearest bathroom. He set her down on the edge of the tub and unwrapped the bandages and took the splints from her arm and leg. He carried those as he walked out and locked the door behind him.

"Thanks Trowa!" she called after him as she ever so carefully slid out of the very over-sized shirt. She winced as she raised it over her head and then let it drop to the floor, she also had a little more trouble when she finally got her underwear down her legs. "Shit I forgot about a towel." She muttered as she sat there for a minute's rest. She looked around and spotted a cabinet above the toilet that was next to the tub. She carefully slid her body over to the toilet and then shifted her weight to sit on it. Then she rose on her good leg and reached for the cabinet door. Once open she balanced on her leg and pulled a towel and wash cloth down. Then she slowly lowered herself once more to the tub and turned the knobs so water ran. Plugging the tub she gently swung her injured leg into the tub first and followed with the rest of her body.

She spent a long amount of time bathing herself, for she kept having to take rest periods. But in the end she felt very clean and she even washed her long hair. She let the water drain out of the tub and realized getting out would be a problem. But she managed it without falling. She sat on the toilet to dry off and then she wrapped the towel around her body.

Someone knocked on the door, "Rose?" It was Quatre.

"I'm still here." She replied.

"I brought you some clean clothes." He said.

"Well I can't really get to the door and it's locked." She said.

"I have a key with me. Are you covered?" he asked, Rose could tell he was blushing.

"Yes. You can come in." she replied.

A key was inserted into the lock and soon the door opened. Quatre stepped inside and handed her a short kimono and undergarments.

"Tell me when you're ready to come out. I'll be the one to carry you." He said.

"Thanks Quatre." She said gratefully. The door closed and Rose took the towel off and dropped it down to the small pile of the clothes she had worn previously. Then she proceeded to pull the undergarments on and was grateful there wasn't a bra, for she knew she wouldn't have been able to wear it for long. It would have been too painful. But she slipped the kimono, which ended at her knees, on and then tied the belt in place.

"Quatre," she called when she finished. The door opened again and the blond walked in over to her. Just as gently and carefully as Trowa had, he picked her up and tilted her toward his chest so she wouldn't fall.

"Wait, can you stop in front of the mirror?" she asked. He did as she asked and she took in her appearance. Bruises were fading from her face, but her eyes moved lower and found a mark on her neck. "What is this?" she asked, reaching up to touch her skin.

"That's from the choker. Your brother has one too, but yours looks like a scar and it goes all the way around. Tesuki's is not as bad as yours." Quatre replied.

She lowered her hand and leaned into him, signaling to go.

He took her back to Duo's room and set her on the bed. He found the splints and wrapped them back around Rose's healing limbs. Tesuki came in as Quatre was finishing and he thoughtfully found a brush and went to his sister.

Quatre stepped away when he was done and left the room. Rose looked at her brother and noticed the brush.

"I can't do it one handed, not with my hair this long." She said. "It'll just look worse than it already is." She added.

"I'll do it for you." He replied, climbing up behind her on the bed.

"Thanks little brother." She said.

When he finished running the brush through her long black hair, he braided it down her back and ended it with a hair tie he spotted on the floor.

"That's so much better." Rose said as her brother came to sit beside her.

"Suzumi? When are we going home?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him, a calculating expression on her face. She then thoughtfully answered, "I'm going to get Quatre to take us when I feel ready enough."

"Okay. I just want to bury Mom and Dad so they will rest peacefully." He continued.

Rose was slightly surprised. Her brother had become so mature for his age of twelve years so fast because of the tragedy, and it would hurt him if she didn't heal and return to normal. She promised herself then and there that she would do what was best for him.

She hugged him with one arm and replied, "We will, I promise."

TBC

Note: It's almost completely posted. It's a good thing that I had this one finished…


	10. Chapter 10

Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW, but I own the Saisos.

**Chapter 10**

That night when Quatre came in to check on Rose, he was surprised to find her still awake.

"Something the matter?" he asked her.

She looked at him and replied, "I want to go home. And you're taking me tonight."

"Rose! You're not healed enough." He exclaimed.

"I only have the fractures in my arm and the tiny crack in my leg to really worry about now. I'll be fine. Please, take me and Tesuki home. We both want it." She said calmly yet firmly. "Please, you're the only one I knew I could persuade. Please take us home. We want to be on our own. I'll promise to let you know we're okay."

Quatre stood beside the bed speechless. It was true that out of the five of the men, he would be the one to be fully persuaded, but the girl was not healed enough to be on her own with just a twelve-year-old boy to help her.

"I can't let you go Rose." He said.

"You must. I have Tesuki to think about now and all my responsibilities concerning my parents' home and businesses." She replied. "It's been much too long as it is and we must return."

"Okay Rose. I give. I'll get your keys and we'll use your car. I'm sure I can find another way back." Quatre sighed. "And I'll inform your brother. Trowa is not going to like this one little bit." He told her, "And neither will Duo for that matter." He added to where Rose couldn't hear it.

"Thank you for understanding Quatre." She said softly as he left the room.

Less than ten minutes passed when the blond returned bearing a set of keys and her little brother in tow behind him. Tesuki carried a little bag in his hands.

"Quatre gave me the painkillers they were giving you. And there's some other things too." The boy said.

"I'm ready." Rose told the blond. She held out her arms while Quatre carefully scooped her up and tilted her slight weight against his body. She had lost weight ever since the night Oz had taken away her family and even more while she healed. And then they went downstairs and outside where Rose's car was waiting, already turned on. Quatre set Rose in the back seat and Tesuki took the passenger front.

It took only fifteen minutes to drive to Rose and Tesuki's parent's home. Quatre helped them get settled, leaving the car keys on the counter in the kitchen. Rose was put in her old room, which was on the ground floor and Tesuki set himself to take care of his sister while Quatre observed for a while.

"Quatre, we'll be fine. First thing in the morning I'm going to call a few friends who I know will come over and help us put our lives back together. But you need to return to your own home and explain to the others when they find I'm gone." Rose said.

The blond man left without saying a word and caught a taxi back to his shared home.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Notes and disclaimers: I don't own GW, but I own the Saisos.

LAST CHAPTER!

**Chapter 11**

Three months passed (it was now February) and found Rose pulling her karate gi on. Her class would start in thirty minutes. Tying the black belt around her tiny waist she finished and began on her hair. It had grown about an inch while she recuperated and braided it tightly. But as she was walking out of her room, ready to walk to the karate gym on the other side of the house, her brother, who had just turned thirteen three weeks ago rushed up to her and nearly crashed into her little body.

"Tesuki! What's wrong! Why aren't you dressed for lessons?" Rose exclaimed, steadying the boy with her hands on his shoulders.

Tesuki took deep breaths and then managed to say, "We have guests. They said they wanted to watch today's lesson." He looked hopeful, but there was a touch of wariness in his brown eyes.

Rose looked puzzled at his expression. But instead she asked, "Who are they? Did they tell you their names?"

"They said that if the Sensei wanted to find that out she must go to the lesson room herself." Tesuki replied.

"Do we know these people?" Tesuki only nodded and then dashed upstairs to his room to change into his own gi.

Rose was confused and puzzled at who would come to watch, and even more when they told her brother that if she had wanted to know whom they were to go there herself. But before she could enter the lesson room, she needed to set her tea on the stove in the kitchen.

After each karate lesson she remembered when her father had been the Sensei, her mother would have hot tea waiting for the students. It helped calm them down to wait for their own parents. Rose kept that tradition going and took pleasure in it. She enjoyed teaching her students and was proud of them and proud that she could also keep her mother's herbal shop going all on her own with just the help that her brother provided.

When she finished putting the water on the stove and readied the cups they would all use, she remained barefoot and quietly walked to the lesson room where she found five men waiting patiently at the back of the large room. She locked down her emotions and strove to keep a neutral expression. The floor was padded as Rose walked around it and opened the windows to let the sunshine in, carefully avoiding the Gundam Pilots.

Just as the last window allowed the sun to flow into the room, children and even teenagers of various ages came streaming through the open double doors into the room. Tesuki ran in from the direction of the rest of the house and skidded to a halt with the other children his age. He immediately started a lively conversation, his English slipping into Japanese. Rose smiled and took her place at the front of the room. When there was twenty-one children, including Tesuki, ranging in the ages of five years old to twenty Rose clapped her hands for attention. The students formed their four lines of five with one extra in the middle row and faced their Sensei.

"Okay everybody, time to bow in." she first in English and then again in Japanese. A couple of their guests in the back raised eyebrows at her language usage, but remained quiet. She watched as the students bowed and then she did. They bowed again at a large picture of the late Saiso's and then waited for Rose's next words. "Today we are honored with guests to watch our lesson. Please let us show our gratitude." Then repeated it in Japanese.

Together, class and teacher, bowed to the men sitting at the back of the room. Then the Sensei began the lesson. At a couple of intervals in the hour and a half of class, Rose had one of her pupils check the tea water and return with a few quick words. Usually she sent one of her Japanese children, but she was always fair and sent one of the English speaking ones at another time.

When the lesson period was up, she sparred with the only other black belt as the other students knelt around the main practice mat. Rose had her partner yield a few minutes later; she was a second degree black belt and her partner one degree lower.

"Thank you Mika." She told her partner and then helped him from the floor.

"Okay, you can all go and drink your well earned tea. Then it will almost be time for your parents to arrive." Rose announced, but instead of repeating it in the other language, her brother took over that one. She smiled warmly at him and then walked to stand ten feet in front of their guests. The students poured out of the practice room and headed to the kitchen, noisy with the two languages colliding and conversations going.

Rose slightly bowed to them before saying, "We are greatly honored of you coming. But may I ask why?" she asked with a politeness she really didn't feel like using. She wondered deeply why they had come and she wanted to be blunt about it, but she could not. They had avoided her for three months, so why come to her now? She wondered.

They looked at each other before turning their gazes back to the girl.

"How about we were bored and decided to come watch your class?" Quatre smiled at her.

Rose smiled back and replied, "I guess I can give you that one. But all of you?" she pointed asked.

"Sure, why not?" Duo retorted. He grinned, but it didn't exactly reach his eyes.

Rose now realized that after all this time, she still deeply loved him and nothing in the world would ever change that. But why did he come here? If he didn't come to taunt or re-establish their relationship, why did he come? She wondered. She looked at him but realized he was pointedly avoiding her as if he didn't really want to look at her. So she looked away and bit her lip and then knew that her brother was in the room once again.

"Quatre! Duo!" he exclaimed as he came to stand by his sister. He then just grinned since it had only been a few minutes since he saw them.

"Hi Tesuki." Quatre replied warmly.

Rose turned her thoughts away as she turned to fully face the Chinese man. There was another thing on her mind that had been eating at her since the night she captured them. "Wufei?" she said.

"Yes?" he replied, giving her his attention.

"My offer still stands. The one I made all those months ago." She said. The other four looked somewhat puzzled at the meaning of Rose's words. "I still would like someone for critique that is not of my family or that I have learned with."

Wufei studied her for a few moments and then said, "Very well. I will help you."

"Thank you." She said.

"Will you be opposed of a spar here and now?" he asked suddenly.

"No, actually I would much like that." She replied, mildly surprised. She was only vaguely aware of her students returning as she and the Chinese martial arts master settled themselves on the practice mat and then set to their sparring.

It wasn't until Rose said, "I yield," that she noticed that her entire class had been watching. Wufei helped her off the floor and they gave a slight bow to each other.

The students looked at her in awe and then gave the same expression to the man who had just sparred with their Sensei.

"Sensei Suzumi, we left you a cup on the counter next to the stove." One of the little Japanese children told her.

"Arigato, Mako." She told the boy. "I will drink it later." She patted his shoulder and then clapped her hands to gather their attention. "I hear cars arriving so now it's time for you to wait outside. And don't forget that you are all sparring next time." She first said in Japanese and then repeated it in English.

They all happily left, waving and calling their good-byes as they passed her. She returned them with a warm smile on her face. When they were gone she turned back to the men. Tesuki hung around by the door, to watch the others and to keep an eye on his sister. He had a feeling that if this turned out badly she would be crying her heart out later. So for his sister's sake he remained in the building rather than spending time outside with his numerous friends.

"I fear you are their new idol Wufei." Rose said with a chuckle. "It has been too long since they've seen me yield."

"How long has it been?" Wufei asked.

Rose turned thoughtful and then replied, "Let's see, the last time I yielded was…that last time I sparred against my father, the late Sensei." She said in a slightly lowered tone of voice.

"It was actually last August Suzumi." Tesuki called from the doorway. "I remember that one. Mom was watching too, along with everybody from class. Dad used one of his special moves and then threw you to the floor."

"Thank you for reminding me little brother." She said in an instantly sarcastic tone. "I had much wanted to forget that embarrassing incident." Then she sighed. "Oh well, that was the last time I had to cry yield."

She looked at the men and found the majority of them smirking at her, all except for Duo. She didn't know why he didn't find that funny. For he had been there, too on that day and laughed up a storm after it was done with. Rose felt tears start to form in her eyes and had to turn away from them. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tesuki come closer to her. He saw and knew what she was going through. She had such a caring brother.

"Excuse me, I must see to something." She hurriedly said, hoping the others didn't hear the tears in her voice. And then she all but ran from the room. Out of their sight she ran to the other practice room, where her father had once taught the karate classes and nearly threw herself down on the mat and sobbed.

Tesuki came to stand before the men, a hard look in his eyes. He turned his gaze to Duo and said, "I hope you're happy. She ran because of you." He said.

Duo looked astonished as he stared down at the boy, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Ever since we came back home, sometimes she had to cry herself to sleep. And when she did that, she would talk in her sleep saying that you don't love her, that you won't forgive her. But she still loves you and that she's sorry for what she had done to you all. I bet my short life on that." Tesuki said firmly, behaving as an already grown adult instead of the thirteen-year-old boy he was.

"And _why_ did we come Duo?" Quatre softly asked rhetorically. "To see Rose. You wanted to come see her and we made you since you wouldn't go on your own. We brought you to make you see that you two belong to each other." He answered himself.

"So stop being a damn baka and go to her." Heero nearly growled at his friend.

"We've already forgiven her, but you haven't yet fully." Trowa said. "She hurts as much as you do over the betrayal and even more on her part. Now go before you make us do it at gunpoint." He added.

Duo looked around at them and then gulped. He knew he still loved Rose; that's why they came. But he didn't know how to tell her that. She had been acting so formally with them for the most part, but now he knew it was because she didn't know the reasons why they had come. So he ran after the girl and found her kneeling on the floor in another practice room. She was crying as if her heart was taken from her and broken in two.

Indeed she had given him her heart and because she desperately wanted to save her precious family she had to do the unthinkable and betray his love and trust. But he became beyond angered and he _did_ break her heart.

He reached out and touched her shoulder, but the instant he did that, she went totally defensive.

TBC

Note: Sorry, I feel kinda sadistic right now….This is gonna be drawn out for ONE more chapter!

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	12. Chapter 12

Notes and disclaimers: I don't own GW, but the Saisos are mine!

Chapter 12 

Rose didn't know it was Duo who had touched her until he had already fallen to the floor knocked out from the automatic defense reflex she had given him. She sank to the floor and pulled Duo's upper body into her lap. She gave a cry and choked out, "I'm sorry Duo. I'm so sorry." She smoothed back his bangs and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

The great thump of a body falling to the floor brought Tesuki and the other pilots into the other practice room. Tesuki nearly grinned while he said, "He didn't just scare you and you gave him your defensive moves did you?"

Rose looked up at them, tears streaming from her eyes. "I didn't mean to." She replied, sadness in her expression. She looked back down at the man in her lap and traced his face with a gentle finger.

Duo groaned as he woke and said, "What did you hit me with?" He felt her finger stop and was privately disappointed when it lifted away.

Wufei was the one who came out and said, "You idiot Maxwell. Did you forget she's a karate black belt?"

Duo opened his violet eyes and found Rose above him, tears running down her face. She gave him a small smile and wiped the tears away with one hand.

"I guess I did," Duo admitted. He sat up and relished that he had been laying in Rose's lap. But he wanted more.

"That was a stupid thing to do," Tesuki said, but he had a grin on his face while he and Duo gazed at each other. "Suzumi is still thinking karate. You shouldn't have scared her."

"Well, when you were yelling at me just a moment ago, you should have warned me." Duo retorted, rising and pulling Rose up with him.

Rose glanced at Duo, eyebrows raised and then looked at her brother, "Tesuki was yelling at you? What ever about?"

"You," everybody said. Rose blushed and remained quiet.

"Now, before anything else happens," Heero said pulling his gun out and aiming it at Duo.

"Heero!" Rose yelped, her eyes growing wide.

"Ask her or we'll have to shoot you." Wufei drew his gun too.

"What is this all about?" Rose demanded. She turned to Duo who had been staring at her. She couldn't read the emotions running through his eyes, but she hoped they were for the better.

Duo went down on one knee, still gazing into the girl's eyes. Rose looked at him puzzled, but when he took her hand in both of his she was no longer confused. She knew in that instant why they had all come.

"Suzumi Saiso, will you marry me?" Duo asked.

Rose stared at him and then lifted her eyes to the others.

Tesuki said, "You better say yes. Or all that we yelled at him will prove useless." He was grinning like an idiot. He knew she would say yes, no doubt about it.

She looked at the others, "Don't worry, we'll make sure he goes with the wedding. He won't be able to refuse and he won't leave you at the altar." Quatre and Trowa said with smiles.

Rose looked down at Duo again with tears forming in her eyes again, "Yes." She said. She sank down into his arms and hugged him tight. "I love you with all my heart Duo Maxwell."

As Duo claimed her lips in a deep kiss, the guns disappeared back where they had come from. Forgiveness was a truly wonderful thing, but love was even more wonderful.

The End 

Note: SO? What'd you think?

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